Corrugated membrane actuators

Abstract

An IOP control valve is disclosed. The IOP control valve comprises a corrugated membrane and a housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The corrugated membrane is anchored within the housing to form a reference chamber on a first side of the corrugated membrane and a fluid flow channel on a second opposing side of the membrane. The reference chamber has a reference chamber pressure representative of atmospheric pressure. The fluid flow channel can selectively increase and decrease in size to permit fluid to flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet. The corrugated membrane is configured to affect flow through the fluid flow channel from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet by deflecting in response to pressure differentials of the reference chamber pressure and the fluid flow channel pressure acting on the opposing sides of the corrugated membrane.

We claim: 
     
       1. An intraocular pressure (IOP) control valve for implantation in an eye of a patient, comprising:
 a housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; and 
 a corrugated membrane anchored within the housing to form a reference chamber on a first side of the corrugated membrane and a fluid flow channel on a second opposing side of the membrane, the reference chamber having a reference chamber pressure representative of atmospheric pressure, the fluid flow channel selectively increasing and decreasing in size to permit fluid to flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, the corrugated membrane configured to affect flow through the fluid flow channel from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet by deflecting in response to pressure differentials of the reference chamber pressure and the fluid flow channel pressure acting on the opposing sides of the corrugated membrane. 
 
     
     
       2. The IOP control valve of  claim 1 , the housing further including a first housing section and a second housing section, wherein the corrugated membrane is anchored between the first housing section and the second housing section. 
     
     
       3. The IOP control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid flow channel comprises a gap between the fluid inlet and the corrugated membrane. 
     
     
       4. The IOP control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the corrugated membrane is configured to control flow through the fluid flow channel by deflecting in response to pressure differentials between an anterior chamber of the eye and atmospheric pressure acting on the corrugated membrane. 
     
     
       5. The IOP control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the corrugated membrane comprises a flexible, fluid-tight membrane configured to deflect away from the fluid inlet in response to an elevated IOP. 
     
     
       6. The IOP control valve of  claim 1 , further comprising a boss member positioned within the housing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. 
     
     
       7. The IOP control valve of  claim 6 , wherein the boss member comprises a toroid, raised member circumferentially surrounding the fluid inlet. 
     
     
       8. The IOP control valve of  claim 6 , wherein the corrugated membrane comprises a flexible, fluid-tight membrane configured to deflect away from the boss member in response to an elevated IOP. 
     
     
       9. The IOP control valve of  claim 1 , wherein the corrugated membrane comprises a circular membrane including a plurality of annular, concentric corrugations. 
     
     
       10. The IOP control valve of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of corrugations are arranged in a plurality of corrugated zones possessing corrugations of varying amplitudes and depths. 
     
     
       11. The IOP control valve of  claim 10 , wherein the corrugated membrane comprises an uncorrugated central zone configured to seal the fluid inlet when the membrane is deflected toward the fluid inlet, and wherein the plurality of corrugated zones are positioned at varying radial distances from the uncorrugated central zone. 
     
     
       12. The IOP control valve of  claim 11 , wherein the central zone comprises a raised portion of the membrane configured to seal the fluid inlet when the membrane is deflected toward the fluid inlet. 
     
     
       13. The IOP control valve of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of corrugations comprises a first corrugated zone including corrugations of a first depth and a second corrugated zone including corrugations of a second depth, wherein the first corrugated zone is positioned a first distance from the central zone of the membrane, and the second corrugated zone is positioned a second distance from the central zone of the membrane. 
     
     
       14. The IOP control valve of  claim 13 , wherein the first depth is greater than the second depth. 
     
     
       15. The IOP control valve of  claim 13 , wherein the first depth is substantially identical to the second depth. 
     
     
       16. An intraocular pressure (IOP) control system for implantation in an eye of a patient, comprising:
 a drainage tube configured to convey aqueous humor from an anterior chamber of the eye; and 
 a pressure-driven membrane valve in fluid communication with the drainage tube and including a membrane having peaks and valleys formed therein, the valve being actuatable in response to pressure differentials and the membrane being configured to control flow rates of the aqueous humor along the drainage tube by deflecting in response to pressure differentials acting on the membrane. 
 
     
     
       17. The IOP control system of  claim 16 , wherein the membrane comprises a circular membrane and wherein the peaks and valleys form a plurality of annular, concentric corrugations, and each corrugation includes a first sidewall connecting a peak to a neighboring valley and a second sidewall connecting the neighboring valley to a second peak. 
     
     
       18. The IOP control system of  claim 17 , wherein the first sidewall of at least one of the plurality of corrugations varies in amplitude or depth from a sidewall of at least one other of the plurality of corrugations. 
     
     
       19. The IOP control valve of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of corrugations are arranged in a plurality of corrugated zones possessing corrugations of varying amplitudes and depths, and wherein the plurality of corrugated zones are positioned at varying radial distances from a center of the membrane. 
     
     
       20. The IOP control valve of  claim 19 , wherein the membrane includes a first corrugated zone including corrugations of a first depth and a second corrugated zone including corrugations of a second depth, wherein the first corrugated zone is positioned a first distance from the center of the membrane, and the second corrugated zone is positioned a second distance from the center of the membrane. 
     
     
       21. The IOP control valve of  claim 20 , wherein the first depth is greater than the second depth. 
     
     
       22. The IOP control valve of  claim 20 , wherein the first depth is substantially identical to the second depth. 
     
     
       23. The IOP control system of  claim 17 , the pressure-driven membrane valve further comprising a housing including a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, wherein the membrane is anchored within the housing to form a reference chamber on a first side of the membrane and a fluid flow channel on a second side of the membrane, the fluid flow channel selectively increasing and decreasing in size to permit fluid to flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, the membrane configured to affect flow through the fluid flow channel from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet by deflecting in response to pressure differentials acting on the sides of the membrane. 
     
     
       24. The IOP control system of  claim 23 , wherein the membrane is configured to control flow through the fluid flow channel by deflecting in response to pressure differentials between an anterior chamber of the eye and atmospheric pressure acting on the membrane. 
     
     
       25. The IOP control system of  claim 23 , the housing further including a first housing section and a second housing section, wherein the membrane is anchored between the first housing section and the second housing section. 
     
     
       26. The IOP control system of  claim 23 , wherein the fluid flow channel comprises a gap between the fluid inlet and the membrane. 
     
     
       27. The IOP control system of  claim 23 , wherein the membrane comprises a flexible, fluid-tight membrane configured to deflect away from the fluid inlet in response to an elevated IOP in the anterior chamber of the eye. 
     
     
       28. The IOP control system of  claim 23 , further including a boss member positioned within the housing between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, wherein the fluid flow channel comprises a gap between the boss member and the corrugated membrane. 
     
     
       29. The pressure-driven IOP control valve of  claim 28 , wherein the corrugated membrane closes the fluid flow channel by deflecting against the boss member to block the fluid inlet in response to pressure differentials acting on the sides of the membrane. 
     
     
       30. A method of regulating pressure through adjusting drainage from an anterior chamber of an eye with a membrane valve, comprising:
 directing fluid through a fluid flow channel formed in part by a flexible membrane shaped with at least one corrugation including a peak, a valley, and a sidewall extending at a first angle between the peak and the valley; 
 modifying the amount of drainage through the membrane valve in response to pressure acting on the flexible membrane by deflecting the membrane to change the first angle to a second, different angle relative to the peak and valley, and to increase or decrease the size of the fluid flow channel in the membrane valve. 
 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30 , wherein the flexible membrane comprises a circular membrane including a plurality of annular, concentric corrugations. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 31 , wherein the plurality of corrugations are arranged in a plurality of corrugated zones possessing sidewalls of varying amplitudes and depths. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 32 , wherein the membrane comprises an uncorrugated central zone, and wherein the plurality of corrugated zones are positioned at varying radial distances from the uncorrugated central zone. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 30 , wherein modifying the amount of drainage through the membrane valve in response to pressure comprises deflecting the membrane to increase the size of the fluid flow channel in response to an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 30 , wherein modifying the amount of drainage through the membrane valve in response to pressure comprises deflecting the membrane in response to pressure differentials between the anterior chamber of the eye and atmospheric pressure acting on the membrane.